The Saints steamrolled the Patriots on Monday night despite the absence of running back Reggie Bush, who has never come close to meeting expectations driven by his stellar college career at USC.

The team's performance without Bush could come in handy in the offseason, if/when the Saints are trying to persuade the locals that parting ways with the second overall pick in the 2006 draft is the right thing to do.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says that the team likely won't bring Bush back next year, when his base salary rockets (per NFLPA records) from $2.585 million to $8 million.

He's simply not worth $8 million next year. He's probably not worth $2.585 million this year.

In 3.5 seasons, Bush has 1,827 rushing yards and 1,806 receiving yards. Not horrible numbers, but not nearly worth $8 million for one season.

So unless Bush is willing to accept a stiff pay cut, he'll be playing elsewhere next season. The real question is whether some other team will be willing to pay Bush more than the best offer the Saints would put on the table.

The Saints steamrolled the Patriots on Monday night despite the absence of running back Reggie Bush, who has never come close to meeting expectations driven by his stellar college career at USC.

The team's performance without Bush could come in handy in the offseason, if/when the Saints are trying to persuade the locals that parting ways with the second overall pick in the 2006 draft is the right thing to do.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says that the team likely won't bring Bush back next year, when his base salary rockets (per NFLPA records) from $2.585 million to $8 million.

He's simply not worth $8 million next year. He's probably not worth $2.585 million this year.

In 3.5 seasons, Bush has 1,827 rushing yards and 1,806 receiving yards. Not horrible numbers, but not nearly worth $8 million for one season.

So unless Bush is willing to accept a stiff pay cut, he'll be playing elsewhere next season. The real question is whether some other team will be willing to pay Bush more than the best offer the Saints would put on the table.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The season is over for Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis. Now he's left to contemplate where he might play next -- and whether he will play again.

Portis was in a reflective mood Tuesday after the Redskins placed him on injured reserve. Doctors have yet to clear him from a concussion he suffered a month ago, and he sounded like a player with a very open-ended future.

Here's the latest development in the bizarre story that began with a restraining order being filed against Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, followed by a claim that he struck and tried to pour bleach on the mother of his two small children.

Now, the woman has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Suggs, along with a separate action seeking custody of the kids.

Candace Williams, 26, claims in the lawsuit that Suggs struck her on November 3, and that he threatened to kill her. She also contends that the incident involving the pouring of bleach by Suggs occurred on November 29.

According to the Baltimore Sun, documents relating to the case include a comment from the judge who issued the restraining order that "visible lacerations" were present on Williams' chest.

Suggs was asked about the situation on Thursday at the team's facility, and he wisely opted not to talk about it. Other than to say he couldn't talk about it.

"I can't talk about all that right now," Suggs said, per the Sun. "You know I've always been fair. When I can address it, I will. I really have nothing to hide. As bad as I want to talk about it right now, I can't. When I'm able to do it, you guys can ask a million and one questions about it, and I would be glad to answer them for you. Right now, to be safe, I really can't answer any questions about it right now."

Suggs has not been charged with a crime, which makes discipline from the team or the league unlikely. Still, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello recently told the Sun that the league will "take a look at it as we would any such matter to try to understand the facts."

JaMarcus Russell talks: “It’s my 3rd year and I have a lot more football to play”

Q: Do you look at guys like Alex Smith and Vince Young as paths to follow?

-RUSSELL: Umm, you can. I’m pretty sure that those things just aren’t happening. It was something to that, you look like now, guys are making plays. That’s the thing we were lacking.

We weren’t making plays. Now, a few plays have been made.

Q: What is he doing well?

-RUSSELL: Now it’s just all around. Guys are just making plays around him (Gradkowski).

In the Dallas game after you go out and win in Cincinnati there weren’t plays really made the whole game, you know what I mean.

Going into Pittsburgh, guys were making plays for him. That’s what a quarterback needs, his surrounding players. That’s what was going on.

Q: How would you grade yourself this season?

-RUSSELL: Uh, kind of hard because there was times where you try to get guys a chance to make plays and at the early part of the year, it wasn’t happening.

So the quarterback job, I say he looks for more help around from everybody because he can’t do it himself. It wasn’t so well, but at times it was. When we look at film, it don’t be as bad as it seems on the field always.

JaMarcus Russell talks: ďItís my 3rd year and I have a lot more football to playĒ

Q: Do you look at guys like Alex Smith and Vince Young as paths to follow?

-RUSSELL: Umm, you can. Iím pretty sure that those things just arenít happening. It was something to that, you look like now, guys are making plays. Thatís the thing we were lacking.

We werenít making plays. Now, a few plays have been made.

Q: What is he doing well?

-RUSSELL: Now itís just all around. Guys are just making plays around him (Gradkowski).

In the Dallas game after you go out and win in Cincinnati there werenít plays really made the whole game, you know what I mean.

Going into Pittsburgh, guys were making plays for him. Thatís what a quarterback needs, his surrounding players. Thatís what was going on.

Q: How would you grade yourself this season?

-RUSSELL: Uh, kind of hard because there was times where you try to get guys a chance to make plays and at the early part of the year, it wasnít happening.

So the quarterback job, I say he looks for more help around from everybody because he canít do it himself. It wasnít so well, but at times it was. When we look at film, it donít be as bad as it seems on the field always.

I don't understand a word that came out of his mouth. How could you interview this man and decide it was a good idea to draft him?

JaMarcus Russell talks: ďItís my 3rd year and I have a lot more football to playĒ

Q: Do you look at guys like Alex Smith and Vince Young as paths to follow?

-RUSSELL: Umm, you can. Iím pretty sure that those things just arenít happening. It was something to that, you look like now, guys are making plays. Thatís the thing we were lacking.

We werenít making plays. Now, a few plays have been made.

Q: What is he doing well?

-RUSSELL: Now itís just all around. Guys are just making plays around him (Gradkowski).

In the Dallas game after you go out and win in Cincinnati there werenít plays really made the whole game, you know what I mean.

Going into Pittsburgh, guys were making plays for him. Thatís what a quarterback needs, his surrounding players. Thatís what was going on.

Q: How would you grade yourself this season?

-RUSSELL: Uh, kind of hard because there was times where you try to get guys a chance to make plays and at the early part of the year, it wasnít happening.

So the quarterback job, I say he looks for more help around from everybody because he canít do it himself. It wasnít so well, but at times it was. When we look at film, it donít be as bad as it seems on the field always.

With the Oakland Raiders unlikely to host a Monday Night Football game that isn't hosted by ESPN's Night At The Roxbury "B" team, former Raiders coach Jon Gruden will be in the area only when the 49ers have a home game in prime time on the first work night of the week.

And so it was in Week 14, with the 49ers facing the Cardinals at Candlestick Park.

The game brought former Raiders coach Jon Gruden back to town, and so he attended a "crowded backroom Raider reunion" at a sports bar in San Leandro, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune.

Gruden reportedly "sprung" for the party ("the hot dogs are paid for, so don't f--king waste any of them"), which was attended by a "seemingly never-ending reception line of invited guests, many of whom are going to be glad their names won't be mentioned here."

"Look at him," a Raiders employee told McDonald. "He's still a rock star."

A crowd of Raiders fans developed at the bar as word of Gruden's presence leaked out. And as he headed for the bus, a "glut" of Raiders fans chanted, "Come back Jon!"

McDonald speculates that Gruden possibly could return as head coach, due to the fact that he has not publicly disparaged the team. ESPN on-air colleague Ron Jaworski told McDonald that he's never heard Gruden say a bad word about owner Al Davis.

But, as McDonald points out, Gruden was shipped to Tampa nearly eight years ago because he wanted more money and more power. He'll want even more of it when he returns to the NFL.

Anybody hearing how bad Larry Fitzgerald's knee injury is? It didn't look good and I'm assuming the worst. Hopefully it will be a deal where he has a MCL sprain or something and can come back in time for week 17 and the playoffs... week 17 just to shake off the rust. Hopefully not an ACL.

Anybody hearing how bad Larry Fitzgerald's knee injury is? It didn't look good and I'm assuming the worst. Hopefully it will be a deal where he has a MCL sprain or something and can come back in time for week 17 and the playoffs... week 17 just to shake off the rust. Hopefully not an ACL.